EIN: 54-1705642
Mission Statement
Aspire’s mission is to expand learning opportunities that help historically underserved students fulfill their potential through afterschool and summer learning programs that support and connect families, schools, and communities. Aspire envisions an Arlington where all children have the support they need from family, school, and community so they can succeed as learners and thrive as healthy and happy individuals. We are the only daily academic afterschool program in Arlington that is offered at no cost to 3rd-8th grade students and their families.
Program Summary
We transform summertime and afterschool into a comprehensive, holistic launchpad preparing students to succeed academically, thrive personally, and build the skills needed for future academic and career success. Our holistic programming includes:
1) Daily Afterschool Program for 150 Arlington students: Aspire provides the ONLY daily, accessible academic afterschool programming for 3rd-8th graders in Arlington that is offered at no cost to families. As one parent shared, “I looked into lots of other programs and they wanted $10 more an hour than I make.” We operate at three locations in South Arlington (Arlington Mill Community Center, Drew Elementary School, and Randolph Elementary School) from 3-6 pm every school day. Programming includes: reading activities; social-emotional lessons; enrichment in STEM, the arts, health, and more; 1:1 homework support/tutoring; and a hot meal. We incorporate experiential and project-based learning activities that are tailored to students’ interests and cultural backgrounds, which can spark curiosity and a love of learning, and we build a supportive environment that prioritizes students’ well-being and mental health. Our programming aligns with the school curriculum and reinforces what students are learning in school while also providing instruction, programming, and personalized support that students do not receive in school.
2) Six-Week Summer Program for 120+ Arlington students: Our full-day summer learning camp reduces the impacts of the summer learning loss, which makes it difficult for students to catch up to their more affluent peers. The camp operates 7 hours/day for 6 weeks. Activities build upon our afterschool programming and school curriculum, and emphasize problem-solving, collaboration, and social-emotional development. We incorporate hands-on learning projects, educational field trips, and unstructured play.
3) 1:1 and Group Support for 200+ Parents/Caregivers: Our bilingual Parent Engagement Coordinator (the parent of an Aspire alum) connects families to resources for housing instability, food insecurity, and other challenges and hosts workshops to help parents support their child’s education. She also hosts workshops to help parents support their child’s educational development with topics like building healthy relationships, reading report cards, keeping kids safe online, and more. Through holiday parties, science fairs, and other events, families connect with each other and students show off what they are learning.
Through longstanding partnerships with schools, affordable housing providers, and nonprofit organizations, we identify participants, recruit volunteers, connect families to resources, and advance shared missions.
Impact Statement
Aspire has a long history of impact in the Arlington community. In 1994, we were founded as Greenbrier Learning Center, a grassroots effort to provide afterschool learning programs for elementary school students. Today, Aspire serves 150 3rd-8th graders who face systemic barriers to educational opportunity – 100% are students of color, 94% come from low-income households, 70% speak a language other than English at home, and 91% entered our program in the fall of 2025 at least one grade level behind in reading (66% are 2+ levels behind).
Recent accomplishments include:
What ways can the public get involved?
Aspire welcomes volunteers who can work directly with our students and help them grow. We have 1:1 weekly volunteer opportunities for volunteers who want to make a high impact and support a student with math, reading, or homework throughout the year.
We also host reading nights for groups to read aloud with our students and see first-hand the impact of your support. Aspire typically holds at least one reading, STEM, or art volunteer night every month. These opportunities are ideal for people who may not be able to commit to weekly volunteering but still want to make an impact. Other opportunities are developed around the schedule of volunteers. During the school year, volunteering can occur between 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM M-F. Learn more at https://www.aspireafterschool.org/volunteer/.
We also have a food pantry for families You can support the pantry by donating the in-demand goods listed on our website at https://www.aspireafterschool.org/food-pantry/.
How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?
Donations help us to close the educational opportunity gap in South Arlington by providing critical learning support to historically underserved students at no cost to their families.
Specifically, your donation can provide the following for Aspire students:
Information provided March 2026